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Nursing Home Abuse in Maryland

It's estimated that an elderly person in the United States is abused every five seconds. If you or a loved one is the victim of elder abuse or nursing home abuse, you must take immediate steps to stop the abuse. And a Maryland nursing home abuse attorney can act as your advocate and ally.

Recognizing Maryland Elder Abuse

What is elder abuse? It comes in many shapes and forms, and can include:

Physical abuse

Verbal abuse

Sexual abuse

Mental or psychological abuse

Financial misappropriation

Neglect

Malnutrition

When any of these types of abuse occur in an assisted-living facility or long-term care facility and the victim is a senior citizen or vulnerable adult, it's considered nursing home abuse.

Using a Maryland Elder Abuse Attorney to Stop Abuse

If you witness nursing home abuse or think someone may be an abuse victim, there are several steps you must immediately take.

If necessary, ensure the physical safety of the abuse victim. Then you'll want to contact both law enforcement authorities as well as a Maryland nursing home abuse lawyer.

Several Maryland law enforcement agencies are responsible for protecting victims from abuse and taking steps to stop and punish the abusers. You can always contact the police department in the town or county in which the victim resides or the abuse is occurring. You can also call the Maryland Adult Protective Services hotline at 800-917-7383 and the Long Term Care Ombudsman.

Maryland nursing home abuse attorneys can help you on several fronts:

The lawyer can follow up with law enforcement to ensure they have access to the witnesses and evidence necessary to pursue criminal charges.

If law enforcement seems reluctant to charge the abuser with a crime, the attorney can try to convince prosecutors to press charges.

Regardless of the outcome of a criminal investigation, Maryland nursing home abuse lawyers can file a civil lawsuit against the abuser on behalf of the victim.

Through a civil lawsuit, a Maryland nursing home abuse or elder abuse victim can recover damages, or compensation, for the abuse he or she suffered. Damages can pay for a victim's medical expenses and property that was damaged or destroyed as a result of the abuse. Damages can also compensate a victim for things such as pain, suffering and mental anguish.

Find & Hire a Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

If you need to hire a Maryland nursing home abuse attorney, you must act quickly. The health and welfare of the abuse victim are at stake. But even if the victim is out of harm's way, you'll still want to promptly retain a lawyer. That's because the Maryland statute of limitations, or time limit in which to file a civil lawsuit, is three years on nursing home abuse claims.

Wherever you live in Maryland—from Baltimore to Bethesda, from Hagerstown to Annapolis—Attorneys.com can quickly connect you with a Maryland elder abuse lawyer in your area. To use our free service, call us at 877-913-7222 or complete the form on this page. We'll ask you a few simple questions, then quickly connect you with a lawyer in your area.